Shooting rampage victim arrested at ABC-TV town hall meeting

The theme of the event was “An American Conversation Continued” —  the idea being to continue the conversation that a madman’s brutal rampage had interrupted.  So it was inevitable that the conversation would eventually turn to politics.   It did, toward the end, with Amanpour leading a discussion on a very touchy but obvious topic:  gun control.

That’s where the atmosphere turned tense.   When Tucson Tea Party founder Trent Humphries rose to suggest that any conversation about gun control should be put off until after the funerals for all the victims, witnesses say Fuller became agitated.  Two told KGUN9 News that finally, Fuller took a picture of Humphries, and said, “You’re dead.”

When State Rep. Terri Proud (R-Tucson) rose to explain and clarify current and proposed gun legislation in the state, several people groaned or booed her.  One of those booing, according to several witnesses, was Fuller.   Witnesses sitting near Fuller told KGUN9 News that Fuller was making them feel very uncomfortable.

The event wrapped up a short time later.  Deputies then escorted Fuller from the room.  As he was being led off, Fuller shouted loudly to the room at large.  Several witnesses said that what they thought they heard him shout was, “You’re all whores!”

Fuller, age 63, is a political operative who specializes in gathering petitions for ballot initiatives.   Before the program began, he passed out business cards to people sitting around him that read:
“Signatures
“Expediting Initiatives since 2006
“J. Eric Fuller
“Political Circulator.”

A Pima County Sheriff’s spokesman told KGUN9 News that the department has charged Fuller with one count of threats and intimidation, and said they plan to charge him with at least one count of disorderly conduct.  Humphries told KGUN9 News that he does plan to press those charges. 

The irony could not be more pointed, or painful.  One of the issues discussed in the town hall meeting was the question of why no police or mental health professionals had ever intervened with Jared Lee Loughner, despite his increasingly bizarre behavior that had included disruptive outbursts. 

Afterwards, several participants told KGUN9 News that they hoped the outburst would not overshadow what they saw as the true message of the meeting:  that Tucson is filled with good and decent people, and the community will get through this.

Shooting victim arrested at town hall in Tucson

TUCSON, AZ – One of the Arizona shooting victims was arrested Saturday and then taken for a psychiatric evaluation after authorities said he took a picture of a tea party leader at televised town hall meeting and yelled: “you’re dead.”
According to Deputy Jason Ogan with the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, 63-year-old James Fuller was arrested for one count of “threats and intimidation” for threats made against Trent Humphries of the Tucson Tea Party.
During the final minutes of the town hall, Fuller reportedly took a picture of Humphries and said “you’re dead” when Humphries was expressing his opinion.
Fuller then kept booing and making other remarks, Ogan said.
He was reportedly taken into custody without incident.
Ogan said the charge is a misdemeanor, and Fuller may be cited and released.
If Humphries decides not to press charges, the charges will be dropped, Ogan said.
A panel of emergency responders, heroes, and victims of the shooting last Saturday that killed six people and injured 13 others was in attendance at the town hall event.
Fuller said on CBS’s “The Early Show” that he felt the bullet that hit his knee last Saturday but didn’t know he had also been struck in the back.
He said he didn’t know how to react and felt the victims “were in for more.”
Fuller said he is lucky and feels fine physically, but is outraged that Giffords was attacked.
According to the Arizona Daily Star, Fuller, a naval air veteran, drove himself to Northwest Hospital after being shot. He was later taken to University Medical Center where he was released two days later.